Review: INTIMATE APPAREL is Great Show with a Spirit of Excellence

During the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month and I want to applaud the theater companies who pay homage to black playwrights. We're allowed to examine the psyche and social situations from the black perspective through these theatrical masterpieces. I had the pleasure of seeing The Pearl Theaters' production of INTIMATE APPAREL written by Lynn Nottage, and I was moved by the seamless writing and performances by the cast. You will find at the center of Nottage's plays are black women who overcome their given circumstance and find resilience within. This formula is proof positive in INTIMATE APPAREL. In an interview with Women in Theatre, Nottage states that her creativity is nomadic, and when looking at her body of work you will find plays that are set in interesting locations and time periods such as; the Congo (RUINED), historically accurate plays (LAS MENINAS) and period pieces (INTIMATE APPAREL).

Set in New York during 1905 INTIMATE APPAREL is centered on Ester Mills (Terri Renee) who arrived from a country town now living in a boarding house run by Mrs. Dickinson (Loretta A. Petty). Ester is a skilled seamstress who specializes in lingerie worn by highfaluting women such as Mrs. Van Buren (Monica Russo) a southern bell and the ragtime pianist turned prostitute Mayme (Kimberly Roberts). Ester is a young naive woman with a heart of gold, and it is her gentle spirit which forges friendships with her customers. The intimate relationships bring about a trust that Ester holds to her heart. While different in their social ranking, Ester never judges her customers. Ester's relationship with Mr. Marks (Jonathan Gonzales) starts out casual but as the play progress their passion for fabric soon turns into an attraction towards another. Mr. Marks the Jewish fabric store owner cuts deals with Ester and gives her the finest imported textiles. It is through her great craftsmanship and attention to detail she's able to make a good living and plan for the future.

Ester's passion for fashion is soon swayed when an epistolary relationship begins with George Armstrong (Artrell Darnell Sam). Armstrong works on the Panama Canal and originates from Barbados. Ester begins to receive letters and she is disheartened by her illiteracy, and she asks Mrs. Van Buren and Mayme to read the letters to her and help her pen a response to her soon to be groom. Unbeknownst to Ester, there is a hidden agenda by the sweet talking Barbadian. As the play unfolds we are introduced to the ugly side of life from all of the secondary characters. Mrs. Dickinson in her jaded anger tries to stop the marriage and tears up a letter from George. Ester's groom shows his true colors and cons her out of the startup money she's saving in a quilt to build a beauty parlor. Mrs. Van Buren and Mr. Marks are both pushed away by Ester, and the pièce de résistance occurs when she finds that her now husband is cheating on her with Mayme. Ester returns back to her humble beginnings now with child. At this moment, I am reminded of the musical version of THE COLOR PURPLE, when Celie realizes she's beautiful. Ester's new found confidence and power are breathtaking by the end of this exquisitely written theatrical gem by Lynn Nottage.

I want to applaud director S. Denise O'Neal for taking on this piece and directing with passion and persistence. Directing a period piece is a beast, and this was greatly done. I believe a director must attack a piece from the hair follicle to toenail a form a visceral connection to every word. I believe this was achieved by Ms. O'Neal. The glue that held this piece together was that of Terri Renee who played Ester. I love to see an actor that is tormented and trying to find a way through the hellish maze of life. Terri Renee embodied the character completely and I believed her. Jonathan Gonzales was another actor who had a breakout performance in this piece. The tension between Ester and Mr. Marks was very evident, but I believed the underlying attraction could have been pushed a bit more.

A piece with strong characters from other parts of the country requires a dialect coach. Artrell Darnell Sam's portrayal of George Armstrong had great comedic moments, but the character connection felt forced, and contrived. The Barbadian accent wasn't consistent and took away from the character. I feel that this was a great attempt, but I've learned when battling a production deadline that it's best to leave the accents alone and delve into the character. Loretta A. Petty's performance as Mrs. Dickinson was warm and sweet. I wanted to see more layers in her character. When creating characters I like for actors to think of an onion's multi-layers. Monica Russo's performance was dainty but needed a bit more panache. Her Southern accent was there but got lost after the first few lines. Mayme, played by Kimberly Roberts was sassy and reminded me of Shug Avery. The acting ability was there but I wanted to see her go further with the sassy and worldly demeanor Nottage penned for this character.

This was definitely a great way to celebrate Black History Month. I highly encourage you to take your Valentine out on a date to the theatre to see this marvelous production produced by The Pearl Theater. Final weekend of performances Feb. 13-15th please call 832-459-4674 or visit www.pearl-theater.com to make reservations.

The plays the thing! See you at the theatre!

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